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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23783353">Please Hold On (And Never Let Go)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strump/pseuds/Strump'>Strump</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fraywood Brotp [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alec is a good brother, Hurt Clary Fray, Hurt/Comfort, Worried Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 21:22:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,288</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23783353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strump/pseuds/Strump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The OWL drops Clary off of a building, and Alec is the one she calls. <br/>Worried!Alec</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Clary Fray &amp; Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fraywood Brotp [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1119159</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>127</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Please Hold On (And Never Let Go)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>              When Jace drops Clary from the edge of the building, he smiles when she lands. She hears the thunderous crack in her back, and her breath leaves her numb chest. Wheezing, her eyes flicker shut as Jace turns away from the edge.</p><p>              There’s something feral in Clary, though. Her will to survive is strong, and by some miracle she manages to open her eyes again and get to her phone. She dials the most recent text conversation, thinking it’s Simon. But Alec’s voice answers, sulky and tired.</p><p>              “What, Fray?” He snaps in the back of the taxi. “It’s a bad night.” Clary is making little wheezing groans now and Alec straightens in his seat as she struggles his name past her lips in a puff of air. “Clary, what’s wrong?” Alec demands, hand turning slick with sweat.</p><p>              “I…can’t move.” She sounds a little sheepish through her wheezing gasps and Alec swallows and allows his cool institute leader to slide over his panic.</p><p>              “Where are you?” He asks, all business.</p><p>              “Near…Crosby and Grand.” She gasps.</p><p>              “I’m coming.” He hangs up the phone and leans forward, impatiently tapping the cab driver on his shoulder. “Can you actually take me to Crosby and Grand?” He demands. The taxi driver grumbles, but turns anyway, and Alex shifts anxiously in the back seat.</p><p>              By the time the driver finally pulls over to the curb, Alec’s leg is drumming impatiently. He carelessly tosses a wad of cash to the front seat and lunges out of the car, looking around wildly. He finally hears what he thinks sounds like a whimper and takes off at a sprint, coming around a corner into an alley, and stopping short.</p><p>              Clary is lying, all awkward angles, on the top of a car. He looks up at the edge of the building and swallows, realizing it’s a far enough drop to break someone’s neck, and returns to his sprint to come to her side.</p><p>              “Clary! Clary?” He reaches down with barely trembling fingers to press two fingers to the pulse point on her neck. He can feel it, sluggish, but it’s there. “Clary, hey.” He whispers, tapping her pale cheeks and ignoring the blood on her teeth. He takes his stele from his pocket and runs it over the Iratze on her neck, praying that it’s enough to wake her up. “Clary come on. I need you to wake up.” He pats her cheek and grips her shoulder softly. “By the angel, please.” He mutters through clenched teeth, closing his eyes against the tears that suddenly prick his eyes.</p><p>              “Alec.” Clary wheezes and his eyes shoot open.</p><p>              “Clary, hey.” He pats her cheek once more and she manages a small grimace, lidded eyes staring heavily up at him. “Okay, I need to get you to the Institute. I’m going to have Magnus portal us there, but I need you to stay awake until we get there okay?” He’s run down this plan at least fourteen times since he’d gotten her call and had already texted Magnus. The warlock was standing by, ready to open the portal as soon as he got the go-ahead text.</p><p>              “Okay.” Clary’s eyes flickered open a little more, her teeth ground.</p><p>              “Okay…I have to pick you up.” He winces a little as the portal opens behind them and debates the most delicate way to lift her up. He tucks his arms under her shoulders and butt, to support her spine as much as possible, and starts to lift. Clary screams and Alec blinks away the moisture. “I’m so sorry.” He murmurs, turning and stepping up to the portal. “Think of the Institute.” He calls over the loud noise of the portal, before stepping through.</p><p>              They land in the infirmary, where Magnus is already standing with some of the Institute healers. Alec carefully lays Clary down on the bed, trying not to frown when he sees that her eyes are shut once more.</p><p>              “This will take a while, Mr. Lightwood. We’ll let you know of her condition when we’re finished.” One of the healers says as she leans over Clary.</p><p>              “No.” Alec shakes his head and stalks to the armchair in the corner of the hospital-esque room. “I’m staying here.” Magnus smiles fondly at him but is soon pulled away to concentrate on helping the redhead. The healer lets out a small huff and rolls her eyes but doesn’t tell him to leave again.</p><p>              Alec ends up falling asleep while the healers and the warlock work over his small charge. He awakens to a slight shake of his shoulder and the smell of coffee. Opening his eyes, he sees that there is sunlight filtering through the small room. Magnus is standing in front of him with a steaming mug of coffee and a small smile.</p><p>              “Oh.” Alec sits up, wincing as his sore muscles pull, and takes the cup. “Thank you.” He smiles gratefully and takes a sip of the coffee, closing his eyes with a delighted smile. “How’s Clary?” He asks once he’s feeling halfway human. Magnus hums and looks over the redhead, petting some of her curls away from her face.</p><p>              “She’ll live. Biscuit is a survivor. That fall managed to break nearly every bone in her back. By all accounts, she should have been dead long before you arrived.” Magnus states, a deep frown rising on his face. “She should have died the moment she hit the car. Her neck was broken.” Alec swallows past the nausea in his stomach, and grimaces at the coffee.</p><p>              “But she’s okay now?” Alec asks in a voice that sounds much too small. Magnus reaches out to take his hand, squeezing it softly.</p><p>              “She’ll be okay, Alexander.” Magnus assures, smiling. Alec nods, and looks down at his lap. “How about you go shower and get some food. I’ll stay with her.” Magnus suggests. Alec looks like he’s going to deny it, but the unlimited hot water of the Institute is calling his name. He sighs and stands, looking back.</p><p>              “Let me know if anything changes.” He says softly.</p><p>              “I will.” Magnus promises.</p><p>              Alec is only gone for a little over an hour, but when he returns with breakfast for two, Clary’s eyes are open and she’s laughing at something that Izzy is saying. Magnus looks up as Alec enters and offers a plate of eggs to the warlock.</p><p>              “Are those eggs?” Clary’s voice chimes before he has a chance to sit down. He turns to look at her with narrowed eyes.</p><p>              “They’re mine.” He replies slowly, holding his plate close to his chest.</p><p>              “But Alec…” Clary pouts, sending him big puppy dog eyes. Alec frowns at her, but he could never resist the puppy eyes. With a resolved sigh, he extends the plate towards her, rolling his eyes like it’s the biggest burden he can bear. But inside, he’s smiling fondly. “Yay!” Clary squeals, wiggling a bit before crying out and freezing. Alec lurches forward, hands out and eyes wide.</p><p>              “What?” He demands, panicked. Clary inhales deeply and stretches her shoulders with a grimace.</p><p>              “Sorry. That just…hurt.” She frowns deeply. Alec lets out a shaky breath and closes his eyes.</p><p>              “Don’t do that, Fray.” He mutters, feeling his anxiety melt away. “By the angel.” He collapses into the chair by Magnus with a heavy sigh.</p><p>              “Sorry.” Clary apologizes in a small voice, playing with the eggs on the plate.</p><p>              “Just eat your eggs.” Alec replies, smiling when Magnus offers him half of the other plate. Clary hums and digs into the eggs with a grin. Alec thinks it might be one of the most beautiful things he’s ever seen, and in that moment she clicks into place in his small, but tightknit family.</p>
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